Modica

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Comune di Modica
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Ragusa (RG)
Mayor	Pietro Torchi Lucifora (since May 28, 2002

Elevation	296 m
Area	290.77 km²
Population
- Total (as of December 31, 2004)	53,380
- Density	180/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	36°51′N, 14°46′E
Gentilic	Modicani
Dialing code	0932
Postal code	97015
Frazioni	Frigintini, Marina di Modica
Patron	St. George
- Day	April 23
Location of Modica in Italy
Website: www.comune.modica.rg.it

Modica is a city in the Province of Ragusa, Sicily. The city is situated in the Iblean mountains and, along with Val di Noto, is part of UNESCO Heritage Sites in Italy.

View of Modica in the evening.

1 History
2 Main sights
3 Economy
4 Culture
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

The city was founded in 1360 or 1031 BC in accordance to Thucydides, and circa the 7th century BC inhabited by the Sicels, when it was known as Motyca. The Sicels gave their name to the whole island and came around 1400 BC, entered in touch with the Greeks in the 8th century BC and were overwhelmed by them in controlling the coastal zone of Sicily. Later, Modica was occupied by the Romans after the battle of the Egadi islands against the Carthaginians in the Punic Wars 241 BC, together with Syracuse and all the Sicily. Modica became one of the 35 "decuman" (i. e. spontaneously submitted) cities of the island and was oppressed by the praetor Verres (Cicero, In Verrem, 1, III, 51).

The south-east of Sicily and Modica (according to the German historian L. Hertling) was precociously Christianized, as the diocese of Syracuse boasts an apostolic foundation by St. Paul in 61 (28,12). In 535 the Byzantine general Belisarius expelled the Goths and established for Justinian I the government of the East-Roman Empire (also improperly known as the Byzantine Empire) and the already Greek-speaking population fixed their culture until the Latinization of the Normans in the 11th century. In 845, Modica was captured by the Arabs who referred to the city as Mudiqah. In 1091 ended the long lasting war of the Normans, led by Roger of Hauteville, against the Arabs: with the fall of the entire Val di Noto, the south-eastern part of the island, the Christians, led by Roger of Hauteville, reconquered Sicily.

In 1296 Modica became the capital of an important county, which under the Chiaramonte family became a flourishing semi-independent state controlling the whole southern third of the island, with the right of a mint of its own and other privileges (see County of Modica). The most striking event of the modern era was the earthquake of 1693, which destroyed the entire Val di Noto, although to a slightly lesser extent in Modica.

Annexed to Italy in 1860, Modica remained district capital until 1926, when it was included in the province of Ragusa.

[edit] Main sights

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As the city developed it gradually became divided into "Modica Alta" (Upper Modica) and "Modica Bassa" (Lower Modica). During the last century the city has extended and developed new suburbs which include Sacro Cuore (or "Sorda"), Monserrato, Idria, these are often referred to as Modern Modica; both old and modern quarters of the city are today joined by one of Europe's higher bridge, the Guerrieri bridge (300 m).

Despite being ravaged by earthquakes in 1613 and 1693 and floods in 1833 and 1902, Modica has maintained some of the most beautiful architecture in Sicily, in the Sicilian Baroque style. The city possesses a large Baroque Cathedral dedicated to San Giorgio. While the cathedral was rebuilt following the earthquake of 1693, like many other parts of the city its roots are in the Middle Ages.

The Castle of the Counts of Modica.

The Cathedral of San Giorgio, Modica.

Façade of the Baroque church of San Pietro.

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Modica

In Modica Bassa there's another important church dedicated to San Pietro, which has a principal façade crowned by a typical Sicilian Baroque belltower, 49 m in height.

Other sights include:

Castello dei Conti (Castle)
Chiesa del Carmine
Church if St. Mary of Betlehem
Garibaldi Theater

[edit] Economy

The economy of the area once principally agricultural producing olives, carobs, legumes, cereals, and cattle; an extraordinary and unique product is the famous chocolate of Modica, produced with an ancient and original Aztec recipe. The city has now been joined by factories producing textiles, furniture and cars. Tourism is also an important industry to the area, since Modica entered the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.

[edit] Culture

The 18th century happy conjuncture assigned to Modica the role of art and culture town: it’s the time of the literary academies, the philosophers (Tommaso Campailla), the poets (Girolama Grimaldi Lorefice), the school of medicine (Campailla again, Gaspare Cannata, Michele Gallo, the Polara family). In 19th century feudalism was abolished and Modica develops as a "bourgeois" town with writers and anthropologists as Serafino Amabile Guastella, the worldwide famous agronomist Clemente Grimaldi, musician as Pietro Floridia and many other painters, historian and intellectuals.

Modica was also the birth place of Salvatore Quasimodo, a writer and 1959’s Nobel Prize.